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Every year India celebrates the birth anniversary of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar on April 14. He was one of the leading social reformers, scholar, lawyer, politician, and a pioneer advocate of women’s rights. Also known as the architect of the Indian constitution, Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar worked tirelessly towards the upliftment of Dalits or untouchables by advocating the power and importance of education. In 2024, India will observe the 134th birthday of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. As the day is around the corner, here are a few interesting facts about Ambedkar for students.
Lesser-known Facts About Ambedkar
Table of Contents
1. Ambedkar was born in the Mhow town of present-day Madhya Pradesh, India.
2. He belonged to the Mahar caste, one of the untouchable castes in the Indian social system.
3. He was also known as Babasaheb Ambedkar.
4. Ambedkar was the 14th child of their parents Ramji Maloji Sakpal and Bhimabai.
5. Ambedkar attended numerous prestigious universities including the University of Mumbai (BA), Columbia University (MA, PhD, LL.D), and the London School of Economics (MSc, DSC).
6. Ambedkar was the first Indian to pursue a Doctorate in Economics abroad.
7. He was also the first double doctorate holder in Economics in South Asia.
8. Ambedkar is the only Indian whose statue is placed alongside Karl Marx in the prestigious London Museum.
9. B. R. Ambedkar was the first law minister of independent India.
10. Rajgirh, Ambedkar’s personal library was once the world’s largest private library with over 50,000 books.
11. Nobel Prize winner Prof. Amartya Sen once said that he considered Dr. B. R. Ambedkar his father in economics.
12. Although it was Pingali Venkayya who designed the Indian Flag, the concept of Ashok Chakra was proposed by Dr Ambedkar.
13. Ambedkar knew 9 languages including Hindi, English, Pali, French, German, Sanskrit, Marathi, Gujarati, and Persian.
14. Bhimrao Ambedkar is also the first and only person to receive “Doctor All Science” from the London School of Economics.
15. Babasaheb is also the world’s first and only Satyagrahi who did Satyagraha for water.
16. He was a prolific writer who penned several literary works such as The Annihilation of Caste and The Buddha and His Dhamma.
17. He established the Bahishkrit Hitakarini Sabha, an organization that worked to uplift the oppressed sections of society.
18. Ambedkar converted to Buddhism along with 500,000 of his followers. This massive conversion was later called the Dalit Buddhist movement.
19. India commemorates his death anniversary every year as theMahaparinirvan Diwas
20. He resigned from the cabinet when the Hindu Code Bill was stalled.
21. Ambedkar was the first Indian to pursue a doctorate abroad in economics
22. He played an important role in changing the working hours in India from 12 to 8 hours.
23. His book “The Problem of the Rupee” led to the establishment of the Reserve Bank of India.
24. Ambedkar played an important role in the establishment of the Finance Commission of India and the Employment Exchange in India.
25. He opposed Article 370 when it was introduced. The article proposed to unify India.
26. His personal library, “Rajgirh’ had over 50,000 books.
27. To complete his 8 years of study in 2 years, he studied for than 18 hours in a day.
28. His father (Ramji Maloji Sakpal) was a Subedar in the British Army. He was also a follower of Sant Kabir.
29. He was the first Indian to advocate for the Universal Adult Franchise in front of the Southborough Commission.
30. He ran in elections in 1952 and 1954. However, he never won.
FAQs
No. Ambedkar did not have 32 degrees. He earned 9 degrees. This includes a B.A., M.A., M.Sc., Ph.D., L.L.D., D.Sc., D.Litt and Bar-at-law. Some of the degrees he held include–M.A. (1915): Majoring in Economics with Sociology, History, Philosophy, Anthropology, and Politics from the University of Bombay, and B.A. (1913): Economics and Political Science from the University of Bombay.
Dr. Ambedkar has fought for social justice. He was the main architect of the Indian constitution. He was a remarkable scholar idealist, liberator, a jurist, and a true nationalist. He spearheaded several social movements to protect the human rights of the underprivilaged, and the marginalised section of society.
Ambedkar is also known as Baba Saheb Ambedkar. He is the father of the Indian Constitution. He played an important role in the drafting of the Indian constitution.
BR Ambedkar was a social reformer and a visonery. He fought against caste discrimination, and fought for equality. He was the main architect of the Indian constitution. He faced caste based discrimination. Neverthless, he became a lawyer, scholar, and a national leader.
Hope you enjoyed reading these facts about Dr B. R. Ambedkar. If you want to read more such interesting facts, you can visit our blog Hidden Facts About Brahma Kumaris.
